Over 30 Pro-Navalny Protesters In Russia's St. Petersburg Detained - Court Data

Faizan Hashmi Published January 25, 2021 | 05:10 AM

ST. PETERSBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2021) More than 30 protesters in St. Petersburg who participated in the unauthorized demonstrations held in support of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny have been detained, according to updated court press service information.

Initially, the press service said that two arrests were made after the Saturday demonstrations in St. Petersburg. According to updated information from local courts, a total of 37 arrests were made.

Another 46 participants in the unauthorized protests in St. Petersburg were fined.

Earlier, it was reported that over 1,000 protesters in Moscow were arrested following the Saturday demonstrations. The vast majority of those detained were in their 20s.

Chairman of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Valery Fadeyev said there were no violations during the detentions made at the Saturday unauthorized demonstrations held across Russia in support of opposition figure Alexey Navalny.

The chairman stressed the importance of holding a thorough investigation into calls for minors to take part in the unauthorized protests. Such calls have been widely recorded on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

On Saturday, many Russian cities were hit by protests in support of opposition figure Alexey Navalny, who was detained in Moscow earlier in January upon his arrival at Sheremetyevo International Airport. Prior to Navalny's return to Russia from Germany, where he was treated for his alleged poisoning, the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service warned it would arrest him for probation violations as he was previously found guilty of committing two administrative offenses.